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- Sian
Packing the car was the easiest part of the day. Choosing the guards who would move with them was Taro's job. Most of them volunteered, and everyone who had last visited the cottage wanted to follow them north too. One guard even knelt by Sage's feet and pledged to serve him forever. Sage had flushed with embarrassment, and thanked him quickly, so he would get up.
More guards than they needed volunteered to travel with them. Sage was honoured, but he couldn't house almost fifty. "We will come in the spring, then," a guard said. "When we can sleep in our plant forms in your garden."
Sage couldn't say no, so he agreed to see them again next year. As he and Taro waited for Sage's parents to surface for a goodbye, a white range rover with pink rims pulled up beside them. Sage knew who it belonged to before the doors even opened. Taro stiffened next to him when Lady Liniana jumped out, landing on black heeled boots laced up to her knees. A dark green patterned dress fell just above them. Her outfit was one Sage would have usually complimented, if their last encounter hadn't broken her heart.
She peeled her large sunglasses off, staring at Taro with curiosity. "Hey," she greeted. "I had a feeling you would leave today, Sage. I saw the papers this morning about Oxley." Her blue eyes flicked between them. "Do you have time to talk?"
Sage had last seen her on the night when everything went wrong. Her parents, or Liniana, had set him up for long weeks of abuse from the tabloids. The guilt washed over him, until he remembered that he had done nothing wrong. "Okay," he said, choosing to ignore Taro's tiny scowl. "Taro, could you-"
"No," Liniana interrupted, "I want him to be here too." She took the lead, and they followed her over to one of the garden tables and chairs- with legs of metal-shaped roses and vines. They each sat on a chair, watching one another, hoping to keep the conversation civil. "I haven't been in touch because I really did love you," she admitted, keeping her words straight to the point. "This might sound big-headed, but I really couldn't understand why you would have turned me down. I felt like I had done something wrong, or that I wasn't pretty enough, or skinny enough for you, or . . . I had just started to blame myself. But then that picture came out of you, and of Taro. Then I realised that neither of us were to blame, and I had been harsh on you, and on myself." She pursed her lips, staring longingly at Sage. "Why didn't you tell me you were gay?"
Sage had remembered thinking that when Liniana left with tears in her eyes, that he would never be brave enough to be his true self. Taro kept saying that one day she would understand the rejection. He slipped his hand under the table to curl fingers around Taro's hand. "I'm leaving because my brother outed me to the world, and my mum avoids me because she hates Taro, and her family also hate me, and most of the staff here are using the news as a game to sell as many pictures as they can of me and Taro to the press. I didn't tell you I was gay because I couldn't even cope with the thought of my parents finding out. And you've surely read the papers? For every positive one there's five homophobic journalists thriving on tearing me down. We were good friends, but I couldn't trust you with a secret that big."
Liniana nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry Oxley did that to you."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner that I wasn't interested."
"I'm sorry my parents told the press about what happened between us."
"I'm sorry I waited until you were in love with me to break your heart."
Silence fell between them, until Taro leaned forwards and said, "I'm sorry I kissed him before you."
Sage's eyes almost bulged from his head, but Liniana snorted a shocked laugh. "Hi Taro, it's really nice to meet you," she grinned.
"Hi Liniana," was all Taro had to offer. Though Sage didn't exactly blame him, as they sat opposite a woman who was still deeply in love with his boyfriend.
"So, where are you moving to?" she asked.
Sage told her about his plans to move to the mountains. She grimaced at the mention of winter, and then asked if he would be staying there for Christmas. Sage hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know if coming back would be enjoyable. I think dad might want me to come back, but I'm not sure about anyone else." Sage felt Taro's other hand rest on top of his, holding it securely. "Though I wouldn't mind a small Christmas in the mountains. I think it would be quite nice."
"Do you celebrate Christmas, Taro?" Liniana asked.
"Not usually. Decorating a tree wouldn't hurt, though." Taro and Sage smiled at each other, leaning closer instinctively.
"You two look good together," Liniana observed, and Sage felt his cheeks redden. "Does Queen Marigold hate you because you're a green?"
Sage raised his brows. "So, everyone, and I mean everyone knew about them apart from me?"
"In all fairness Sage, you only know what you're taught. Your family might be at the very top, but that doesn't mean you're not controlled."
Sage felt a warmth of gratitude that he was now awake and running as far from his family as possible. "Yes," he spoke for Taro. "That's why mum doesn't like him." He wondered if Liniana knew about the prophecy, which was why Sage didn't know about the greens until now.
"But it's fine," Taro added. "The feeling is mutual between us."
Liniana once again chuckled with shock. "You're bold." Her eyes fell woefully to their intertwined hands when Taro lifted them onto the table. "You're very lucky that Sage chose you."
"I am lucky," Taro admitted. "But so is Sagerian."
Sage nodded, agreeing. "It's true. I could be sitting here with some Lord who only liked me for my title, discussing, I don't know. . . horses or something."
"But really we'd be talking about brands of plant food, and you'd be obsessing over what vegetables you'd grow if you had a vegetable garden."
"Are we really that boring?"
"Oh yes," Taro said with a smirk. "Better to be boring and passionate than to be interesting and detached."
"Bold and wise," Liniana marvelled. "You are lucky, Sage."
Despite the barely noticeable blush on his umber skin, Sage was sure they could see his embarrassment. He had always been good at not wearing his emotions, until anyone mentioned Taro, and all control broke down. "My parents are waiting," he mumbled, noticing them standing patiently at the other side of the driveaway.
"Oh gosh, I can't hold up the Queen!" Liniana jumped up and adjusted her dress. But before they went back to their cars, she whispered, "My parents have been thinking about setting me up with Oxley. After what he's done to you, I'll spit on him when I next see him."
Liniana left with a smile, bowing lowly to the Queen on her way back to the car. Taro leaned closer while they walked across the gravel. "I like her," he whispered. "I hope you'll both become friends again."
Sage hoped for that too. They waved as her car reversed and left the palace grounds. Marigold and Haliver stood with painfully straight backs, and blank faces. They were exposed and couldn't show much emotion. The public were close enough to capture zoomed in pictures.
"Oxley will be punished," Marigold spoke openly. "And I hope you will be happy at Blue-Sow Thistle Cottage." Haliver gave her a short stare, and she added, "Yourself and Taro, of course."
"You'll be given enough money each month to live more than comfortably, and I'm sure that old cottage will need renovating. I've set up the standing order, so don't argue. If you don't want the money, give it to the village, or to charity, or make little huts for all the guards who are leaving us to follow you." Haliver's blue eyes trailed the many cars that were following them up north. "Or maybe build a cottage for Taro's parents. I've spoken to them today, and they said they'd move up north with you too. After what Oxley has done, I want those who matter to you to be safe."
Marigold had clearly not been kept in the loop. Her mouth thinned, and her dark eyes grew distant. "You're also taking our best gardener, Mrs Beecham," she said, maybe blunter than what she had intended.
"They'll come because they want to. That's not my fault." Sage couldn't wait to leave. "Thank you for thinking of us, dad. I hope you'll both visit when you can."
"We will," Marigold said, swallowing thickly.
Sage felt as though she was fighting an inner battle. Unlearning what she had been taught all her life would be hard, but not impossible. "We should be going. There's a storm forecast for tonight. I want to get there before the rain turns the road into ice." He hugged his father, and then hugged his mother, who he suspected only clung to him because of the cameras by the entrance gate.
Once in the car, Sage then remembered that they had forgotten to pack his pyjamas from last night. "I'll get them," Taro offered, jumping out of the car, and jogging back to the building before Sage had the chance to tell him to leave them behind.